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3 | Thursday, M arch 2 , 2 0 1 7 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | w w w .insideH A LTO N .com M illennials face ups and downs in workplace - and life by Nathan Howes Oakville Beaver Staff Special Report: Millennial Mission is a special, in-depth series that takes a look at what Millennials are facing in the world of work ~ now and in the future. To view the full series, visit insidehalton.com is less reliance on the government," said Flynn. "We were able to achieve things generations before us hadn't. There was an expectation, though, that it would continue, but the world has shifted a little bit. A lot of that has to do with globalization, a lot of it has got to do with trade issues." But, more than anything, the shift in workplace expectations can be attributed to increased competition among Canadian businesses, according to Flynn. One way businesses remain competitive is staff management, which has resulted in more temporary jobs and "task-specific" contracts, rather than full-time and permanent positions. "There is a lot of project-specific work that's coming out, there are a lot of temporary help M illennials can expect to both work longer in life, and have more jobs, than previous generations. That's according to Oakville MPP and Ontario Labour Minister Kevin Flynn, who spoke with the Oakville Beaver about what the millennial generation -- those bom between 1982 and 2004 -- is facing now, and going forward, in the workplace. The province' s labour minister shared his thoughts on temporary and full-time work, as well as job churn and the impacts on security, mental health and pensions, among others. Flynn admitted when he first entered the workforce, he expected a full-time, permanent job, benefits to "some degree" and a pension plan. The goal for Baby Boomers was to get a good job, work it until you were 65 and then retire on a "half-decent pension." The expectation was they may have three or four jobs in their lifetime, but that may not be the case for Millennials, a generation the Oakville MPP views "broadly" as the offspring of the Baby Boomers. Flynn estimated Millennials could have a minimum of fO jobs by the time they retire-- and they may not retire until they're well past age 65. "Millennials are looking at a longer working life and looking at increased self-reliance, in an entrepreneurial view of the world, where there agencies emerging," he said. The pace at which temporary/contract work is increasing is particularly alarming, admitted Flynn, noting the rate is rising by close to 10 per cent annually in Ontario. When you start adding those figures up, you can "eat through a hundred per cent pretty quickly:" "It is just a trend employers seem to be trying as a way to limit their expenses, by using temporary help agencies or trying to avoid the responsibility of being the employer," said Flynn. The youth employment rate is also on the rise and is "much higher than it should be," the labour minister said. He attributes much of it to a mismatch in the skills people acquire in school to the demands of the job market. "A lot of it is unwillingness of employers to do on-the-job training. Employers want jobready people walking out of Sheridan College and being able to sit at a desk in their office the next day, being full-steam. Thats unrealistic," said Flynn. "But, to be fair, when people are entering post secondary education, I'm not sure we're steering them in the right direction all the time." see Millennials on p.7 Ontario Labour Minister Kevin Flynn | Riziero Vertolli/Metroland The staff o f Y o u 'n iq u e O a k v ille has relocated to Intermezzo Hair Studio Balayage · H igh ligh ts C o lo u r Experts & Wed 15% OFF any Chemical Service with Select Stylists Open Tuesday-Saturday 82 NELSON ST · INTERMEZZOHAIR.COM · (905)-825-2840